Advanced designs for high capacity commercial and military airplanes require operating efficiency combined with reduced emissions and low noise. In order to meet these requirements, super-high bypass ratio jet engines, such as geared turbo fan or open rotor jet engines may be used. These engines typically employ larger diameter engine fans, rotors and/or nacelles which, because of their size, may place design constraints on other components of the airplane. For example, larger diameter engines mounted beneath the primary lifting wing on the airplane may require excessive inboard wing shear and associated large weight penalties on a low-wing airplane configuration, or alternatively may require that the wing be positioned at a higher level on the fuselage in order to provide sufficient ground clearance beneath the engines. This higher placement of the wing on the fuselage may in turn place constraints on the configuration of payload carrying decks within the fuselage.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mid-wing airplane that allows the use of high efficiency, large diameter engines with minimal adverse impact on the capacity and layout of payload carrying decks.